Improvement in thill-couplings



UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,937, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON SLACK, of Lebanon Centre, in the county of Grafton and State of N cw Hampshire, have invented a'new and useful Improvement in Shackles for Thills an d other parts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a i'ull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawing' forming part oi this speciiication, in which drawing Figure 1 represents a sectional side view of this invention when the shackle is in working position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ot' the same taken in the plane a' x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional side view ofthe same when the shackle is in position to allow oi' its parts being' sepa rated. Fig. 4 is a sectional side view oi' a modiiication thereoi', showing the shackle in working position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same in the plane g/ y, Fig'. 4. Fig. 6 is a seetional side view of the same, showing the shackle in position to allow ot' its parts being separated.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a shackle for thills, shafts, or rods of any description, said shackle being composed of a slotted head with a bearingshoulder and of a socket provided with a center pin and with an abutment, the slot in the head being intended to catch over the center pin of the socket and the shoulder of the head to bear against the abutment in such a manner that, by the combined action of the center pin, the slot, the bearing-shoulder, and the abutment, a iirin connection between the two parts ofthe shackle is obtained as long as said parts are in their working position 5 but, by turning the head in the proper position, it can be readily disconnected from the socket, and thereby the operation of connecting or disconnecting the two parts ofthe shackle is materially facilitated.

In the drawing, A designates the socket, which is formed at the end of the clip or rod B. Into this socket is fitted a head, O, formed at the end of the goose-neck or bar D. Said head is provided With a radial slot, a, which is intended to drop over the center pin b secured in the socket A, and on the head is also formed a shoulder, c, to bear against an abutment, d, in the socket when the shackle is in Workin g position, as shown in Figs. l and et. The shoulder c in the head O is either formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or it may be formed as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. In Figs. 1 and 3 the head C is provided with a segmental slot, c, the outer end of which runs para-l'- lel to the radial slot a, while its inner end is curved up, forming the segment ofa circle described from thc center ci' the pin b, as shown 5 and in the socket A is secured a pin, d, to form the abutment for the shoulder c. IVhen the head O is brought in the position shown in Fig. 3 the radial slot a drops over the center pin b and the segmental slot c drops over the abutment d; and when the head is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1 the two parts of the shackle are securely united, and they cannot be disconnected unless the head is turned up to the position shown in` Fig. 3. Instead of formin g the shoulders c by a segmental slot, as shown in Figs] and 3,itmay be formed by increasing the thickness of the head (l, (best seen in Fig. 5,) thereby producing two shoulders, one on each side of the bar D, and in this case the pin el of Figs. 1 and 3 is replaced by flanges dt, against which the shoulders c* abut. The iianges lf/G, however, are made segmental, so thatby turning the head to the position shown in Fig. C the two pa-rts of the shackle can be disconnected, but ii' the head is turned down to the position shown in Fig. et the two parts ofthe shackle are securely connected. In either case-that is to say, whether the shackle is constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and, 3 or as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6-the head O, when in workingl position, is coniined between the center pin b and the abutment d, and the two parts cannot be disconnected unless the head is turned up to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The head O of the thill-iron D, provided with a segmental slot, c, in combination with the socket A and pin l of the clip A, substantially as described.

v2. The head O of the thill-iron D, provided with the radial slot a and segmental slot e, in combination with the pins b d of the socketA of the clip B, substantially as described.

SIMON SLAOK.

Witnesses E. J. DURANT, MARY A. SLAGK. 

